Combined box and table



Jan. 19 19 26.

E. N. HOWELL COMBINED BOX AND TABLE 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 1 1924 E. N. HOWELL COMBINED BOX AND TABLE 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001: 15,

. gwuentoo li'dwayfli W: Howdb Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

EDWARD N. HOWELL, OF ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

COMBINED BOX AND TABLE.

Application filedOctober 13, 1924.

To all whom it may concem Be it known that I, EDWARD N. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Asheville in the county of Buncombe and State of North Carolina, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Combined Boxes and Tables, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined box and table, adapted to be carried upon an automobile, but is not necessarily restricted to this use.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, wherein a foldable table top is attached to a box and serves as a cover for the outer open forward side, such table top being shiftable rearwardly from such open side of the box, when it is to be used as a table, whereby access may be readily. had to the interior of the box.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of v the above mentioned character, the elements of which are simple, strong, durable, and arranged in a compact manner, when folded.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for securely detachably holding the device upon a portion of an automo bile such as upon the running board of the same.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the. same,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of acombine'd box and table, embodying my invention, showing the same applied to the running board of an automobile,

Figure is a side elevation of the device, removed from the automobile with the table top opened,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the device, folded. as applied to theautomobile,

Figure 4.is a vertical transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 5,

Figure .5 is a front elevation of thebox with the table top folded rearwardly there: from, and, 1

"Figure 6 is a plan view of the: entire devie ,*in the opened position.

Inthe .dliIWingS vwherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferredembodi- Serial No. 743,266.

ment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates the body of an automobile, and 11 the running board.

'Mounted upon the running board is a box 12, the same embodying sides 13, a bottom 14,- top 15, and back 16, all of whichare rigidly secured together by any suitable means. .The front. Side ofthe box isleft open, as more clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

As clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, the box provided interiorly with a horizontal partition 17 above which is a vertical partition 18, and another horizontal partition 19. These partitions form spaces for the reception of sliding drawers 20, 21, and 22, for receiving, food or the like. These drawers may be equipped with counter sunk handles or knobs 23, which are flush with the outer faces of the drawers. The outer faces of the drawers are. flush with the outer edges of the sides 13. Arranged beneath the horizontal partition 17 is a vertical partition 24, forming a space for a sliding drawer 25, preferably, lined with fibrous material 26. The top of this drawer is open and it is adapted to receive a bottle and to hold the sam against breakage. This drawer is equipped with a counter sunk handle 23, flush with the outer surface ofthe drawer 25. The partition 24 also forms with the partition 17, an ice compartment 28, suitably lined with heat insulating material 29.

The front side. of this ice compartment is adapted to be closed bya door'or cover 30, which is not hinged, but has a sliding fit within its opening, and may be moved outwardly. This door carries a lining 29 of heat insulating material. The door 30.is equipped withcounter sunk handles 23, flush with the'outer surface of the door 30. A metal drawer 27 is rigidly mounted upon the back side of the door 30 and is movable with it. This drawer 27,has a sub-tray 27', as shown, upon which the ice rests. The cover 30 is flush with. the front'edges of the sides 13, as is obvious. The division of the box into the several compartments, as shown, has been found to be advantageous, and is the preferred arrangement, yet the invention is not necessarily restricted to the precise arrangement, as the same may be modified, if found advantageous.

4 The table top is designated as a whole by the numeral31, and embodies an intermediate section 32-and an outer section 33. The

intermediate section 32 is connected with the box 12, adjacent to its back 16, by means of hinges 34. These hinges are preferably secured to that edge of the intermediate top section 32 which is adjacent to the top 15 and also to the top, and are adapted to permit the intermediate section 32 to swing upwardly over the top 15 and to rest thereon, in substantially contacting relation. The intermediate section 32 and outer section 33 are connected by means of hinges 35, which are preferably secured to the adjacent edges of these sections. The hinges 35 are adapted to permit the outer table top section 33 to swing downwardly over the front open side of the box 12, when the intermediate section 32 is folded over the top 15.

In order that the sections 32 and 33 may not move downwardly, when shifted to the open horizontal position, with the outer section 33 supported by the legs, to be described, I provide additional rigid connecting means between these top sections, in the form of sliding bolts 36. operating withm sockets or keepers 37, which are secured to the top sections 32 and 33, as shown. The top section 33 is provided with stops 38, which limit the rearward movement of the bolts 36.

The numeral 39 designates a pair of legs which are connected to the outer or lower side of the top section 33, by means of hinges 40, which permit these legs to be folded fiat against such outer side. The numeral 11 designates foldable braces connecting the legs 39 and the top section 33, as shown.

When the top sections 32 and 33 are in the folded or closed positions, the top sec tion 33 is retained in the closed position by means of spring catches 42, which are preferably employed. As clearly shown in Figure 1, the legs 39 become inverted, and the upper free ends of these legs are retained in the closed position by means of spring catches 43, attached to the top 15.

The arrangement of the device is such that it is particularly well adapted to be mounted upon or carried by an automobile. I have illustrated the same as mounted upon the running board of an automobile, while it may be just as well mounted upon the rear trunk rack of an automobile, or the de vice may be used without being mounted upon an automobile. In order to mount the device upon the running board 11, I prefer to attach upper brackets 44, upon the upper surface of the running board, adjacent to the inner edges thereof, so thatthey will be out of the way. I also attach lower brackets 45 to the lower surface of the running board, near the outer edge thereof. The numeral 16 designates straps which are passed about and over the box. The rear ends of these straps carry hooks a7, to engage within the brackets 44:, and the forward ends of the straps carry hooks @S to engage within the brackets 4:5. The straps are of course adjustable and formed in two sections, which may be connected by buckles 49 or the like.

The box 12 is equipped with folding handles 50, secured to the sides 13 thereof, as shown.

With the several elements of the device folded, the same is arranged upon the run ning board 11, and securely held thereon by means of the straps as. These straps not only serve to hold the box to the running board, but retain the same spaced from the body of the automobile. JVhen it is desired to use the device as a table, the straps are opened, and the box is lifted from the run ning board, by means of the handles 50. The box 12 is now placed upon the ground or any other flat support. and the table top sections are swung upwardly and rearwardly until they assume the horizontal posi tion. The legs 39 are now opened, to support the top section 33, and the bolts 36 are moved forwardly to lock the top sections 33 and 32 together. It will be seen that the table top sections 33 and 32, are arranged in the same horizontal plane with the top 5, and these elements constitute, in effect, a continuous table top. The front open side of the box is now entirely uncovered, whereby access may be readily had to the interior thereof. a

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the. scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a box having its front side open and its rear side closed and its top provided with a stationary cover, a table top embodying a plurality of hinged sections adapted to be folded over the top of the box and to cover the open front side, means for hinging one end of the table top with the box near its top and adjacent to the rear closed side, and means for supporting the free end of the table top when it is opened.

2. A device of the character described comprising, a box having one side open and its opposite side closed, a table top embodying a plurality of hinged sections, said table top being hinged to the closed side of the box near the top thereof and being adapted to be folded over the top of the box and then downwardly across the open side of the box, said table top being shifted in a direction away from the open. side of, the box when said table top is arranged substantially horizontally whereby the table top is located upon the closed side of the box, and means for supporting the table top in the open substantially horizontal position.

3. A device of the character described comprising, a box having one side open and the opposite side closed, an intermediate top section hinged to the box near its closed side and adapted to be folded over the top of the box, an outer top section hinged to the intermediate top section in a manner to permit the same to swing downwardly from the folded top section to cover the open side of the box, means to rigidly connect the hinged ends of the top sections when they are arranged in the open position, and foldable means carried by the outer top section to support the same.

4-. A device of the character described, comprising a box having one side open and the opposite side closed, an intermediate top section hinged to the upper portion of the box and adapted to be folded over the top of the box, an outer top section hinged to the intermediate top section in a manner to permit the same to swing downwardly from the folded top section to cover the open side of the box, means to rigidly connect the hinged ends of the top sections when they are arranged in the open position, and legs hinged to the outer top section to support the same and foldable upon the same.

5. A device of the character described comprising, a box having one side open, an intermediate top section hinged to the upper portion of the box and adapted to be folded over the top of the same toward the 0 en side thereof, an outer top section hinge to the intermediate top section in the manner to permit the same to swing downwardly from the folded top section to cover the open side of the box, and means for substantially rigidly supporting the top sections when in the open position extending from said box.

6. A device of the character described comprising, a box having one side open, an intermediate top section hinged to the upper portion of the box to be folded over the top thereof toward the open side of the box, an outer top section hinged to the intermediate top section in a manner to permit the same to swing downwardly from the folded top section to cover the open side of the box, means to rigidly connect the hinged ends of the top sections when they are arranged in the open position, a leg having its upper end hinged to the outer top section in a manner to fold upon the outer face of such outer top section, means to hold the outer top section in the position to cover the open side of the box when shifted to such posi tion, and means engaging the free end of said leg to hold the same in the closed position, when shifted thereto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD N. HOWELL. 

